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Serving others was not like pulling teeth for Abilene's Gene Shelhamer

Loretta Fulton, Special to the Reporter-News
Published 3:30 p.m. CT Oct. 19, 2018

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Dr. Gene Shelhamer in an examination chair at Presbyterian Medical Care Mission. Shelhamer has retired after 50 years of dentistry, 19 of those with the mission.(Photo: Ronald W. Erdrich/Reporter-News)Buy Photo

For Gene Shelhamer, it was Dr. Marcus Welby, a fictional television doctor in the series,“Marcus Welby, M.D.,” which aired on ABC from 1969 to 1976.

The thing Shelhamer loved about Dr. Welby was his ability to focus on the patient and not get caught up in whether the patient could afford to pay him or any other distractions.

“He could just concentrate on that one patient, whatever they needed,” Shelhamer said. “It wasn’t anything other than what was best for the patient.”

His own focus

Shelhamer chose dentistry instead of a medical practice, but otherwise he is “Marcus Welby, M.D.” to the patients in the dental clinic sponsored by Presbyterian Medical Care Mission.

The problem for the mission is that Shelhamer retired at the end of September and so far no one has come forward to take his place.

Debra Burchett, executive director, said no decision has been made to close the dental clinic, which is located on Medical Drive, and that a search continues for a dentist. But finding another “Marcus Welby, Dentist.” may prove to be impossible.

Burchett said in an email that not many people dedicate a significant portion of their professional life and retirement years to serving an underserved population.

They might change their minds if they could see the response Shelhamer has gotten from patients in the 19 years he has practiced at the clinic, first as a volunteer and then as a paid dentist. The patients are extremely grateful for Shelhamer’s service and kindness, Burchett said.

“His 19 years of service to the mission reflect a heart full of compassion and giving,” Burchett wrote in an email, “and the Abilene community has been blessed immensely.”

The board of directors of Presbyterian Medical Care Mission will be hosts of a private retirement luncheon for Shelhamer and his wife, Carolyn, later this month, something Shelhamer hoped to avoid.

“I didn’t want a retirement party,” he said. “I just wanted to fade into the sunset.”

But that wasn’t meant to be. Shelhamer’s years at the clinic are appreciated too much for people to ignore his retirement.

A new calling

Shelhamer already had been in private practice in Stamford for 30 years before he took on extra work as a volunteer at the clinic. He closed his practice in Stamford in 2005 but continued at the dental clinic in Abilene.

Shelhamer and his wife now live in Abilene.

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Dr. Gene Shelhamer, right, with Dr. L. M. Bayouth at Stamford Professional Center when it opened in 1977.(Photo: Reporter-News)

Last spring, Shelhamer received a 50-year pin from the Texas Dental Association, which he previously served as vice president.

“There were only 12 of us” getting a 50-year pin, Shelhamer said, which speaks to the longevity of most dental practices.

Shelhamer felt like he got a second wind in 1999, when he started splitting his time between his private practice in Stamford and the mission in Abilene.

“I am very appreciative of having the job and the opportunity,” he said.

In 1999, Pat Evans was executive director for the 17th District Dental Society and contacted Shelhamer about serving the mission. Fred White, a local physician, was president of the mission’s board of directors at the time and wanted to add dental services. Evans was persuasive, as Shelhamer recalled.

“She convinced me that was something I should do,” Shelhamer said.

Sinking his teeth into a career

Becoming a dentist was not what Shelhamer envisioned growing up in Pampa, where he was born. He graduated from Pampa High School in 1961 and from what is now West Texas A&M University in Canyon in 1965 with a degree in biology and chemistry. Dentistry was the last thing on his mind.

“I had had some ‘not real good’ dental experiences,” he said.

But he later went to a young dentist who had learned new techniques that made a trip to the dentist a better experience. Shelhamer had planned to get a doctorate and either teach or conduct research.

Instead, he graduated in 1969 from what is now the Texas A&M College of Dentistry in Dallas and immediately moved to Stamford to open a practice.

Why Stamford?

“They needed a dentist in Stamford,” Shelhamer said.

Shelhamer and his first wife, LaRue, raised five daughters and one son in Stamford. LaRue died in 2003 and Shelhamer later met Carolyn May, whose husband had died. They were married in 2006, instantly creating a family with eight children — his five and her three.

On to Abilene

Once Shelhamer decided to split time between his dental practice in Stamford and the clinic in Abilene, he embraced the new challenge wholeheartedly. But even before then, his Marcus Welby instincts had kicked in.

Many of the patients Shelhamer saw in Stamford were farm hands and he knew it would take them an entire day to earn what he did in 10 minutes.

“I just didn’t see a fairness there,” he said.

So, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Shelhamer took to the Presbyterian Medical Care Mission dental work immediately.

“I just wanted to help people,” he said. “I was ready for a new challenge.”

With the aid of two “crackerjack” dental assistants, Shelhamer has been able to help thousands of people. Because of their low income status, many of the patients suffered from numerous medical conditions and other issues. Some even had viruses like HIV or hepatitis C, which can be spread through blood transfer.

“By the grace of God,” Shelhamer said, “we were fortunate.”

Shelhamer isn’t concerned about changing his mind or getting bored in retirement.

He is quite active in the community and as a member, along with his wife, of University Church of Christ. Shelhamer has been on the board of Region 14 Education Service Center for 37 years and has chaired the board for 28. In 2011, he became a Master Gardener, a distinction reflected in the immaculate yard at his home.

The couple also enjoys traveling and spending time with their family. The first thing they did after retiring in September was to take a short trip to Colorado. Shelhamer will keep his dental license active for another year, but he’s pretty sure his career is over--and with no regrets.